A phrase made famous by Nas on "The World is Your's" from his universally acclaimed debut album, iLLmatic. Nas used the term again on the track "One on One" from the Street Fighter soundtrack in the mid 90's.

In a literal sense, the term "Rotten Apple" is a nickname for New York City, for obvious reasons.

In a symbolic sense, however, it could be a much deeper metaphor, meaning a negative, angry, depressed, or confused state of mind. "Dwellin' in the rotten apple, you get tackled, or caught by the devil's lasso..."

It could also be a metaphor for deadly games & habits such as drug addiction, pomiscuous sex, alcoholism, anorexia, etc.

This line is a perfect example of elite lyricism, portrayed by an elite rapper, spawned from true talent, skill, and understanding for Hip Hop. It has a literal sense that the vast majority of people can relate to - it is easy to understand - it is creatively soken to sound pleasing to the ear of the listener - and it also has a fascinating "iceberg" below the surface that can be explored by those who are passionate fans of hip hop, writing, and music.

-His rhymin' is a vitamin.

Dwellin' in the Rotten Apple, you get tackled/
or caught by the devil's lasso, shit is a hassle/

an offensive term for a teenager who has disciplinary problems, mainly in school, and is being rebellious against their parents.

mother: Becky, i have bad news for you. answer my question :why have you turned out to be a rotten apple?. I didn't give birth to you so as a teenager you would be a rotten apple.

Becky: Lol. im not a rotten apple, mom. all i do in terms of rebellion is dye my hair purple and listen to rock music; in school my disciplinary problems amount to, at most, me fighting off some bastards of the male gender. you as my computer illiterate simply don't understand the children and teenagers of our generation.

A song by prominent Seattle-based alternative rock and metal band Alice in Chains. Rotten Apple was recorded in 1993 and is the opening track of Alice in Chains' 1994 EP, Jar of Flies. It is regarded by many Alice In Chains fans as one of their finer songs, and by some to be one of the standout tracks coming out of the alternative movement of the early 1990's.